• Place a large saute pan over high heat and add olive oil. Add fennel and garlic and saute for 2-3 minutes until slightly charred on all sides. Season with salt and pepper. Deglaze with white wine then add toasted fennel seeds and chicken stock. Depending on the size of your pan you may need to add more liquid so the fennel is about 3/4 covered. Bring to a simmer, cover and braise on stove top for 30 minutes until very tender.
• Remove fennel from braising liquid. Reduce liquid on stove top for a further 3-4 minutes then add butter and swirl to dissolve. Serve as sauce on fennel bulb.

Sausage, Fennel and Asparagus Pizza (bevcooks.com)

What it took for 2 12-inch pizzas:
* 1 cup all purpose flour
* 1 cup whole wheat flour
* 1/2 Cup Bisquick
* 1 packet dry active yeast
* 1 cup warm water, divided
* 1 tsp honey
* 1 tsp salt
* 3 Tbs. extra-virgin oil, divided
* 2 cups cherry tomatoes
* 1/2 bunch asparagus, ends trimmed and diced
* 1 fennel bulb, end trimmed, core removed and sliced thinly
* 3 sausages or brats of your choice
* 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
* fresh basil for garnish, if desired

In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast into 1/4 cup warm water and honey. Let sit 5 minutes, until nice and bubbly.
In a larger bowl combine the flours, the Bisquick and salt. Add 1 Tbs oil, the yeast mixture and the remaining 3/4 cup water. Mix the dough with a spoon or your hands for about 4 minutes, until you form a ball. If you need to toss in a bit more flour, go ahead. You want a nice smooth dough ball. Flip the dough onto a clean surface and knead for about 2 minutes, getting it extra smooth and awesome.
Put the dough ball in a large bowl with a little oil coating it, cover with a warm damp towel and let the dough rise for about 45 minutes.
Once the dough has risen, using a pastry cutter, divide the ball into equal smaller balls, 2 to 4.
On a floured surface, Roll out the dough to your desired thinness.
Preheat the grill to medium-high.
In the meantime, throw about 1 1/2 cup of the tomatoes into a mini food processor and blend until smooth. Then pour the puree into a small sauce pan and simmer with a pinch of salt, pepper, and a basil leaf or two for 5 minutes.
Heat the remaining oil in a medium skillet and toss in the sliced fennel. Saute until it starts to soften, 5 minutes. Add the asparagus and tomatoes and saute another 3 minutes, until everything pops and is crisp-tender. Add in a pinch of salt and pepper.
Back on the grill, add the sausages and grill until plump and lightly charred, roughly 20 minutes, depending on your sausages. Remove from heat and cut into small half circles. (You can always brown Italian sausage (casings removed) in a pan if you want. Which I normally want.)
Brush the grates with a little oil, and place each pizza crust right on it. Grill until the bottom is set, 3 minutes. Remove crust from grill and flip it over. Spoon out a layer of tomato sauce, followed by the fennel, asparagus, cherry tomatoes and diced sausages. Sprinkle with mozzarella and back on the grill it goes for another 15 minutes or so, until the cheese is nice and bubbly and the dough is cooked through. But keep an eye on it. Not all grills are created equal and I don’t want you to hate me if yours burns. Coo?
Top with more fresh basil if desired, slice and inhale.


 Quick Braised Collards with Pot Liquor (www.huffingtonpost.com)